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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us October 31, 2005 Initiative to purge AFN gains steam Electric surcharge proves unpopular with residents By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Efforts to gather signatures for an initiative that would require the city to sell the Ashland Fiber Network have been given a boost because of anger over a planned AFN fee on electric bills. Earlier this year, John Gaffey, the initiative’s author, began work to gather the 1,582 valid signatures from registered voters needed to qualify his initiative for a March election. The Ashland City Council then voted to begin adding a $7.50 fee to all electric bills in October to help close AFN’s deficit. That move angered many residents, some of whom began collecting their own signatures for a petition to express their disapproval of the fee. Resident Ann Marie Hutson presented the petition to the city council, which later voted to delay the fee until January because of concerns about its impact on the poor and elderly. But rather than disbanding after presenting their petition to the city council, the group of residents has joined forces with Gaffey to help him gather signatures for his initiative, according to Gaffey and Hutson. “The city really galvanized a lot of people by approving the fee,” said Gaffey, who also serves as a member of the Tidings Readers Board. “It got them awake to AFN and the implications. From my point of view, it’s been hugely helpful. It ticked a lot of people off.” With help from the residents initially mobilized by their opposition to the AFN fee, Gaffey said he is confident he will qualify his initiative for the ballot. He said he recently turned in an initial batch of about 450 signatures to the Jackson County elections office so officials there could begin the task of signature verification. Hutson said people have been calling her asking for petition sheets so they can collect signatures for the initiative. Along with other concerned residents, she plans to collect more signatures on Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5, most likely outside Ashland stores. She said the city council should find another way to pay off AFN’s $15.5 million debt than imposing a fee on residents. “The city should be held accountable and sell some of its assets rather than handing the $15.5 million debt over to residents,” Hutson said. The city council could have sent Gaffey’s initiative directly to voters, but voted not to do so in August. Councilor Russ Silbiger said at that time that forcing the city to sell AFN would ultimately cost residents more because potential buyers would know the city had no choice but to sell. The AFN Options Committee — formed by the council to explore alternatives that include selling the cable television and high-speed Internet service — is expected to present a report shortly. Gaffey said he hopes the council will make a decision about the future of AFN that would make his initiative unnecessary. “I would love that,” he said. Staff writer Vickie Aldous can be reached at 482-3456 x 3018 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams